3 Ways to Stop Having a Bad Day

I am having a bad day. You know, the kind where something goes wrong and things just snowball on top of that first wrong thing.

The Anatomy of a Bad Day

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I started this gem of a day by oversleeping, followed by a rushed shower – during which – the power went out, so the water pump shut off.

So, I couldn’t rinse the conditioner out of my hair – or dry my hair. (Oh yeah, on top of having a bad day, in general, I’m also talking pretty bad – bad hair day.)

Then, while rushing around, I forgot the battery backup on my clock makes the clock lose 15 minutes every hour, so I rushed out the door with no chance of making it to my appointment on time.

(Have you ever walked into a quiet and important meeting with dripping hair and clumps of greasy looking conditioner stuck in your hair. I have. Everybody stares.)

So, now I’m back home, my power is back on, I’m stressed, and I’m completely drained, and trying to decide what I can do to turn this flop of a day around and make the rest of the day productive and more positive.

3 Tips for Crushing a Bad Day

Really, just putting it out there by writing this is helping me to let it go. So that is where I’m going to jump in here with my personal tips for crushing a bad day.

Write it down: If you are a person who finds release in journaling, write it down so you can let it go.

In addition to letting you release the frustration you’re feeling, it lets you analyze what has happened, and it lets you see where things went wrong.

Sometimes it will be something you did that set the wheels in motion – in the wrong direction.

(For example, me hitting the snooze button about eight times this morning because I was tired from staying up late last night working.)

Sometimes, you’ll find it was an external thing that started the negativity, but you’ll find a way that you can react differently in the future.

Redirect your focus: Some people meditate to do this, but I’ve never been great at meditating, so I use writing to redirect my focus, some people also use physical exercise, such as walking, to create positivity – think about what works for you, or try some of the ideas you find here.

(For example, right now instead of thinking about my lousy morning, I am thinking of ways to help someone else who is having a bad day – my focus has shifted away from my own problems.)

Make a list of the positive things in your life: If you’re really having a bad day, this can be hard because nothing feels positive right then, right?

That’s where I was an hour ago.

I had to go through the process that works for me, and it won’t be exactly the same for everyone, but if you don’t have a process that you use, I invite you to try my three tips.

So, a short summary of my personal tips for taking a bad day and turning it into a good day: Write down every bad thing that happened, analyze what went wrong and ways you can address similar problems in the future, redirect your focus as you release the negative, and make a list of the things you are grateful for.

Have a Good Day

Now, I’m ready to go turn this lame day around, how about you?

Go turn your day around so when you get to the end of the day today, you can say, “Hey, it was a good day.”

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